Appraisals

A jewelry appraisal is a report, written by a professional appraiser who is independent of the sale of the item(s) appraised. The report describes gemstones and jewelry, and values the item(s) for a specific purpose. We typically prepare appraisals homeowner’s insurance policies, to help sell jewelry, to help families divide jewelry among future recipients, and for a variety of other business and legal purposes.

Once an appointment has been scheduled, the specific jewelry items have been discussed, and the fee has been determined, clients are encouraged to observe our process of identifying and analyzing the quality of each piece. After they leave, we continue to research values and prepare the final report. Depending on the number of items, the jewelry appraisal report can be completed in as little as 24 hours, and includes color photographs of each item.

We ask clients to bring with them any reports or old appraisals that may correctly identify accurate weights of gemstones. We do NOT remove gemstones to evaluate them. Each appraisal includes color photographs and we recommend that these photos and the report be kept in a safe place for future reference.

Tom Tivol is personally available to complete in-office appraisals by appointment every Monday through Saturday. Sunday appointments are also available upon request. We can also accommodate off-site meetings to complete appraisals outside the Kansas City metro, or when clients are unable to travel to our office. We do NOT complete any appraisal services online.

For questions, or to make an appointment, please contact Tom Tivol Jewels.

read the blog

  • Refining Precious Metals

    2012-02-17

    Like all services within the jewelry industry, the liquidation of precious metal jewelry should be undertaken by a professional, who explains the process and provides their commission before their examination or testing starts. Identifying the karat content of metal is not as easy as it seems. This is especially true when the merchant is asked to separate authentic gold and silver coins from coin-like stampings which have a pure gold overlay atop some kind of base metal or sterling silver.

  • Amethyst: February Birthstone

    2012-02-01

    We begin the lovely month of February with a look at its princely birthstone, the amethyst, symbol of royalty, tracing its heritage to the Minoan civilization in ancient Greece about 2500 B.C. This is a gemstone that has been highly prized by monarchs of many countries over countless centuries, even though it is one of the most affordable and commonly available stones. Historians have absolutely no idea why kings and queens have loved this stone. Everyone knows the legend, that if you drink wine from a cup carved of amethyst, then you will never be drunk. Could it be that this story alone accounts for amethyst's royal favor?

  • Garnet: January Birthstone

    2012-01-09

    I believe almost everyone has seen or knows a garnet ... that red or brownish red or pinkish red or brownish orange gemstone. All of this is true. But there is more, much much more. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the garnet family includes some of the most gorgeous gemstones in the entire world, and that includes almost every color imaginable.

  • Blue Topaz and Turquoise: December Birthstones

    2011-12-01

    Blue Topaz and Turquoise: Two "Blues" for a Joyous Month of Gift-Giving! Two "blues" define the official birthstones for December, despite the fact that this is one of the most joyous months of the year.

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